AYLETH
by xXSunfiredragonXx
Summary: This is my continuation of the anime/manga Trinity Blood. : Ayleth is MINE and mine alone. I do not own Abel, Ion, or any of the other canon characters. Ayleth is a young vampire slayer , she moves from place to place in search of rouge methuselah to destroy. Eventually she falls in love with... oh wait that would be a spoiler... nevermind. Guess you just will have to read :D
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter one : Savior**_

It was late at night in the city, pitch black. Not even the stars shone through the clouds. The streets were faintly illuminated by a few streetlamps, casting long shadows across the damp ground. Ayleth walked steadily down the walkway, turning as a shriek echoed off the sides of the buildings. A young woman turned the building's corner and ran down the street, not noticing Ayleth. She nearly ran right into her, and sobbing, clung on to Ayleth's black cloak, speaking too frantically to tell what she was saying. "Who there, slow down miss, I don't know what you're saying!" Spoke Ayleth, grabbing the frightened woman by the wrists and prying her off the cloak. "Please, speak slower."

"H-Help m-me! He's going to k-kill me!" She stuttered, eyes still wide with fear.

"Who is? Who's going to kill you?"

"She means me." Spoke a low, snarling voice. Both Ayleth and the strange woman turned at the same time. A strange man stood approximately ten yards down the sidewalk, in the direction the woman had run from, and slowly advanced toward the two women. He was roughly six feet tall, and wore a black pinstripe suit with a blood red tie.

"Who are you? What do you want with this woman?" Ayleth commanded, immediately alert.

He let out a snicker. "I am named Emilio, and that woman is _MINE._" He answered with a hiss, drawing his mouth into an evil smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth, with four sharp canines. The woman let out a squeal, and tried to rise from the step to run. Ayleth shoved her back down, "Stay put, I'll deal with him. Just don't move." she ordered as she yanked off her cloak, revealing the twin swords strapped on her back, just between her shoulder blades. "So, you're a Methuselah, huh? Well," she drew the swords out of their sheathes, pointing one at the man, "You picked the wrong night to go prowling."

"HA!" He spat a mouthful of spit on the cement "As if a woman with a couple puny swords, a _terran__ none the less,_ could hurt me! I'll break your spine in such a way that your legs will be paralyzed, and then I'll let you watch me kill and drain her body of blood!

Ayleth's green eyes narrowed, "Let's just see about that, you filthy insect." she hissed. He flashed forward, running full speed, fangs glinting in the glow of the street lamps. Ayleth darted to the right, and swept the sword in her left hand outwards. Emilio jumped to his right, receiving only a small cut in his forearm. "What the…" he said, looking at his wound, now a bubbling, sizzling gash. "AUGHHH! You little wench! You use silver blades!?" He screeched, clawing at his arm. "I'll _kill you!_" He charged once more, now with a crazed expression, hands tipped with sharp nails outstretched to shred Ayleth.

"You shouldn't fight with anger. It blinds you, you know." Ayleth said, raising her swords. She braced herself as he charged toward her and leapt into the air. One quick slash of her swords, and he was on the ground, writhing in pain. She had cut his arms, from the elbow down, completely off. He screeched and screamed in pain, shouting curses and foul things at her. She calmly walked to him, and stood square on his chest. "Shut your mouth, you foul beast." She ordered, staring at him through stray hairs that had come loose during combat. He ignored her and continued to roar in pain, his eyes rolling back and forth in their sockets. "Fine." She crouched down, still on his chest, and placed the blades of the swords on either side of his neck. She beheaded him with one fluid movement, and then rose to her feet.

"Are you okay now, Miss?" She asked the woman, who was now staring with wide eyes and an open mouth at the vampire's body, still sizzling where it had been cut.

"How, how did you do that!? Are you a vampire too?"

"No, I'm not a Methuselah. But I have had many dealings with them in the past, my family was murdered by a group of them long ago." Ayleth replied, while cleaning her blades on Emilio's suit jacket. She slid the swords back into their sheathes on her back, picked her cloak off the ground, and walked back to the woman. "I didn't catch your name, and I didn't give you mine, either. I'm Ayleth Desponia. So who are you?"

"M-my name's Eva, Eva Davinport. I was on my way home when that man, or rather that _monster_, began to follow me. I thought I might be able to lose him if I walked an extra block from my house and then doubled back so he wouldn't know where I live, but then I realized he was a methuselah. I panicked and ran, thank God I found you, or I might be dead like those other girls!"

"What other girls? Others have been killed here?"  
"Yes, you haven't heard? There have been six deaths already, each victim was found mauled and drained of blood. All of them were women around the age of 25, about my age. The city authorities think a group of methuselah is responsible for the killings."

"No I didn't know about any of this, I have only been in the city since this morning. I'm just passing through."

"Oh, do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"Uhm, no… actually. I don't"

Eva's face brightened a bit, "Well you are more than welcome to spend a few nights at my place, it's the least I can do for you! I mean, you did save my live and all…"

"Really? That's very kind of you. I guess I might as well stay the night, all this fighting has made me tired. You lead the way; I don't know where we're going."

"Sure thing, it's this way." She replied, turning down the street.

Ten minutes later they arrived at Eva's doorstep. She pulled out a key and unlocked the door, and welcomed Ayleth inside. Once indoors, she locked and bolted the door, and showed Ayleth to the spare bedroom.

"Wait here, I'll be right back, I need to get you some clean sheets." She returned to the room a few minutes later with an armful of clean linens and a fresh pillow. She turned down the quilt on the bed and dressed it in the new sheets, and in no time had it completely made. "There you go. Are you hungry? I know it's rather late, but if you are I have lots of food downstairs, plenty of rolls and cheese and I might even have a few raspberry pastries left over."

"No, but thanks. I think I just need to sleep right now, it's been a tiring day." Ayleth answered as she pulled her cloak off and slung it over the back of a chair. Eva watched as she unbuckled the sheaths from her back and propped the swords against the end of the bed, and then removed the gun holster and belt from her waist.

"Well good night then, my room is right across the hallway if you need anything. Sleep well." She said, turning from the room and shutting the door behind her. Ayleth kicked off her boots and lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She pulled a shiny heart shaped locket from her pants pocket, and pressed the intricate button in the center. It clicked open, revealing a picture of a young couple with their new baby. The name _**Ella Desponia**_ was engraved into the silver on the inside of the locket. She stared at the picture for quite some time before she finally snapped it shut, turned off the lamp on the bed stand, and fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two: To Market, to market **_

Sunlight filtered through the window onto the bed, waking Ayleth with its bright rays of light. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to remember where she was. There was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Ayleth? I made you breakfast; bacon, eggs, and toast. Are you up?" Eva said from the other side of the door. "I'll be down in just a moment, I just woke up. Thank you." Ayleth replied as she untangled a knot from her hair and slid off the bed to look out the window. Outside, the streets were busy and full of bustling people. There were several carts selling fresh vegetables and fruits, and a wagon containing about 15 chickens in individual cages. She pulled on her boots and headed down the wooden staircase to eat breakfast. Eva was waiting in the kitchen at a table, munching on some crispy toast.

"Here, I made you a plate. I hope you slept well after last night." She said, showing her the plate of food.

"I slept like a baby, fighting that methuselah really wore me out. Thanks for making me breakfast; I really appreciate you taking me in, Eva."

"Oh it's no problem, really! I'm forever in your debt for saving me, I'm sure I would have been killed had I not run into you!" Eva replied in a cheerful tone.

"Well let's just call it even then, shall we?" said Ayleth, stuffing a bite of egg into her mouth.

After breakfast, Eva suggested they go walk to the town market. The two women pressed into the crowded streets, heading towards the town square. The crowd got thicker and thicker as they got closer to the main market and the number of kiosks and street vendors grew greater in number.

"Wow this place sure gets packed; I can barely keep you in sight!" Ayleth shouted over the noise of the market. "Yes, the Monday morning market is always packed, mostly because Monday is when the best fresh sea food comes in." Eva yelled back, pushing through a group of women crowded around a kiosk selling bags, scarves, and hats. She led Ayleth towards the center of the market square, pushing through another group of people. Ayleth got cut off from Eva by two brawny men carrying a roast pig on a spit. She darted around them and ran directly into a tall man, knocking him to the ground and landing across his chest.

"OOOOF!" He huffed, having the wind knocked out of him.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! Here let me help you up!" Ayleth exclaimed, face turning red as she rolled to her feet and helped him off the ground.

"Oh, that's quite alright, no harm done!" He said with a smile on his face, as he brushed the dirt off his cloak. "Oh, my glasses, where…." Ayleth spotted them on the ground and snatched them up before a woman and her two children crushed them with their feet.

"Oh, here, I found them for you!" She said, wiping the dirt off the lenses with the bottom of her shirt. She handed them back to him. "Uh well sorry for running into you, I'm Abel Nightroad." He said, offering his hand for a shake. "Oh no, it was entirely my fault! I was in such a hurry to catch up to my friend that I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. But anyway, my name is Ayleth, Ayleth Desponia."

"Well, Ayleth, could you, by chance, show me where the Black Cat Tavern is? I'm staying there with a friend, but I wandered quite far into the market, and… well… I can't quite remember how to get back."

"Oh, uhm, I actually don't live here, I'm just passing through; I have only been in town here since yesterday morning. I'm sorry, but I have no idea where the tavern could even be."

"Oh, that's allright, maybe I'll ask some of the shop owners if they know." He cheerfully replied, a smile forming on his face.

"Ayleth! Ayleth, oh there you are! I was afraid I would lose you in here at some point!" Said Eva, walking up behind Ayleth and holding basket containing a fresh fillet of fish and a few vegetables. "Oh that's okay, hey maybe you can help him find the tavern."

"Help who?"

"Him…" she turned to see that Abel had vanished, nowhere to be seen. "Oh. Never mind, I guess he will have to ask someone else then."

"Okay, well let's head back to the house, I'm starved!"

After pushing and shoving back through the crowds, they finally arrived back at Eva's doorstep. Eva immediately went to the kitchen and began to prepare a meal from the fresh foods she had just purchased. "Do you have any good books to read? I haven't had a good book to read for months."

"Oh yeah sure, there's a bookshelf in my bedroom, you can borrow any one you want." Replied Eva as she diced a potato. Ayleth headed up to the bookshelf and grabbed a book called " The History of Albion", and headed outside to sit on the front stairs. A couple of men sat about ten feet away on a bench, talking and eating a fresh lunch they must have bought at the market. Most of the carts and kiosks had already packed up and left, and Ayleth could hear basically everything the men were saying.

"Did you hear that they found the body of a methuselah early this morning?"

"Yeah, I heard that some guy came out of his house early before the sun rose, and found it near his house. Apparently the sun came up and it was reduced to a pile of bones before the police had the chance to ID the victim or find how he died. Though they say his arms and head were found separate from his body…"

"He must have picked a fight with a pretty skilled opponent. I hope the nightly killings stop, though after this they might get worse." Said one man, picking up a napkin he had dropped. Ayleth snapped the book shut and walked back into the house. She pit the book back in the shelf, and cleaned her swords while Eva prepared dinner. Later, Eva called up the stairs that dinner was finished, and the two women sat down to eat some steamed vegetables and fried fish. Ayleth rinsed her dishes in the sink and headed up to her room. Once she heard Eva go to her bed, she waited fifteen or twenty minutes before slipping her swords on her back and putting her belt on. She drew her cloak over her shoulders, and pulled the hood onto her head, hiding her face in shadows. Then she opened the windows, leapt to an ivy covered pipe just outside, and climbed to the roof.

From the rooftop, she surveyed the small city. On the west stood a church, its spires reached higher than any of the other buildings, and were tipped in gold crosses. She sat in the silence, and peered up at the stars shining in the clear sky. She leaned back and drew in a deep breath of the cool night air, and sat down and closed her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter three: Draconis Occidentalis**_

A few seconds after she shut her eyes, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence, from the direction of the church. She leapt to her feet and ran to the edge of the roof, easily leaping the 6 foot wide gap to the neighbor's roof. She ran across the rooftops as quickly as she could to get to the church, sending loose roof tiles tumbling to the street below. Once she reached the square in front of the church, she stopped dead on the rooftop. Below, in the square, stood four methuselah, feeding off of two young women, both already dead. Just as she was about to intervene, a young boy flashed into view.

"Huh? Who's he?" grumbled one of the vampires, blood running down his chin.

"Dunno, let's kill him too." Said another, wiping his face on his sleeve. The two that had spoken stood, while the other two decided their help wouldn't be needed and continued drinking. They rushed forward, with wicked smiles on their faces.

"No!" Shouted Ayleth, she jumped into a nearby tree, but landed badly on the branch and fell to a limb below. Still unable to regain balance, she lost grip and fell from the tree completely, ending up in a bush below. "Aughh! Darn you stupid tree!" She hissed, rubbing her head. She crawled quickly out from the bush, to see that the boy had pulled a short blade from his belt, and that a silver haired man was now standing beside him.

"Abel..!?" Ayleth shouted, a confused look on her face.

"What are you doing here?" He replied with an equally confused expression, only now noticing her standing there. Before she could answer, the taller of the two Methuselah rushed forward, his hand and fingers now shaped into a sharp sword. Able snapped back into action, and quickly pulled out his gun, firing a bullet right into the vampires neck. He coughed up blood and spluttered, falling to the ground at Abel's feet. "Silver bullets. They're the best for killing methuselah." He said, bracing himself for the next attack. The slaying of their comrade motivated the other two vampires to leave their meal and better assess their situation. The three regrouped, each with a furious expression. They all just stood there, staring at each other for several minutes.

"GRRRR IM SICK OF WAITING!" Ayleth impatiently snarled, tearing off her cloak and drawing her twin blades. "Let's finish this, NOW!" She lunged towards the group of methuselah, her blades glinting in the starlight.

"No, Ayleth! There are too many to take on at once!" Shouted Abel, running to stop her. Too late. She bowled one of the vampires to the cobblestone road and sliced off the leg of another. The third methuselah grabbed her from behind, holding her with one arm around her waist and the other around her neck and shoulders.

"Mmm, you smell awfully nice…" he crooned , running his lips up the side of her neck. "I might just have to try a taste, hope you don't mind."

"Let me go, you sick bastard!" She screeched, trying to twist out of his iron grip. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the young boy she had seen with Able flashed forward with his silver dagger, and ran it right through the attacker's heart. He coughed up blood, spraying Ayleth on the side of her face, and then collapsed to the ground. Able finished off the methuselah that had lost a leg to her swords, but the other had vanished.

"Wh-where did…. He go?" She stammered, trying to regain her breath.

"The other one got away. I tried to land a bullet on him, but only managed to graze his side. But, you never answered my question, what are you doing here?" he kneeled down next to her on the ground.

"I… well I…"

"Wait, are you the one who killed that methuselah the day before?" Asked the younger boy, now standing directly before Ayleth, still gripping the dagger.

"Yeah, that was me. He was going after Eva, I had to protect her. But, you, the way you move, you're a vampire too, aren't you?" She asked the boy. "Well obviously I am a methuselah. What, are you blind or something…?" he said sarcastically, lifting his chin.

"Please forgive his rudeness. This is my friend Ion. Don't worry, he's on our side, I promise." Abel said with a smile.

"Correction! My name is Ion _Fortuna_, Earl of Memphis."

"Earl of Memphis…" she muttered to herself, wiping the blood from her face onto her sleeve. "here, let me help you up." Said Abel, offering his hand. She pushed him away, and stood on her own.

"I don't need anyone's help. I had everything under control, and then you two came in and ruined it." She walked to where her cloak lay on the ground, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Well sorry I saved your life and all, I mean really! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Screeched Ion, pointing his blade at her.

"It's none of your business!" she roared back, her eyes turning an eerie shade of yellow.

"What the…" Said both Abel and Ion, staring in disbelief. She ran to a nearby shop and climbed easily up the brick wall, leaving Abel and Ion in the church square.

Once back on Eva's rooftop, she collapsed to her knees, shaking. "No, I can't show them… nobody can know!" She sat on the roof and did her best to calm down, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her eyes changed back to their original green and the shaking stopped. She stood up, crawled back down the ivy, and went to her bed. She dreamed that she was 12 years old and standing in her bedroom, face buried into her hands, crying. Her father rushed in, and put his arms around her, and said "Your mother and brother, they… they didn't make it sweetheart. The methuselah are coming, but I can save you. Here," he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled a hypodermic needle from his white lab coat " you can fend them off with this." He said, hands shaking as he injected the yellow-green liquid into her arm. "Daddy that hurts!" She squealed, trying to break free from his grip, then all went dark. She fell to the floor, unconscious. A few minutes later, she woke. Her eyesight and hearing were much better than before, and even her sense of smell. She looked over to see her father's body lying on the floor beside her, two methuselah were sucking at his neck, all covered in blood. Rage welled up inside her, she rose to her feet, eyes now a glowing yellow, teeth as sharp as a vampires, and fingernails pointed like claws.

"What is that thing..?" Said one of the methuselah, staring at the young girl in disbelief.

"Who cares, I'll bet she tastes good." Spoke the other, blood dribbling down his chin. They stood and slowly came towards her. And then they realized what a mistake they had made.

The liquid her father injected her with was a fusion of nanomachines, bacillus, and the DNA of a strange new reptile, called _**Draconis Occidentalis**_, a large carnivorous creature found and kept secret by the Vatican. The injection gave Ayleth powers nearly equal to that of a crusnik. Besides the side effects of having highly acute senses of smell, hearing, and eyesight, she could use the nanomachines to develop large dark wings, resembling that of _Draconis Occidentalis,_ sharp claws and canines, and super human strength. She had transformed into a completely lethal vampire killer, but the only problem is that she was incapable of controlling herself in this "Draconic" state.

That night, Ayleth destroyed every last vampire in the village, but also killed several villagers in the process. After realizing what she had done, she ran from the burning village, away from everything she had ever known.

"What am I, WHO AM I!?" She screamed, finally falling to her knees once she was deep into the forest. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, alone in the dark woods.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter four: Goodbye**_

The next morning, Ayleth woke before sunrise. She grabbed all of her belongings and crept down the staircase, heading towards the kitchen. Digging around a stack of papers on the table, she found a pen and a piece of blank paper, on it she wrote:

"Dear Eva,

Thank-you for providing me with a place to stay and fresh meals each day. I greatly appreciate your hospitality. Please forgive me for not staying to say good bye, I must leave now. Stay safe.

~Ayleth

P.S., I took a few rolls and apples for my journey, hope you don't mind"

She placed the note on the counter, where Eva was sure to notice it, and quietly left the house. The streets were rather empty this morning, a huge difference between how it had looked on market day. A stray dog wandered up and down the sidewalk, sniffing for food. She walked several blocks before realizing that she had no clue on how to get out of the small city.

"Excuse me, sir, could you tell me how to get out of this city?" Asked Ayleth, approaching a man who sat at a bench smoking.

"Sure thing, young lady, you head down that way for several blocks, the turn left when you come to the church. Head right through the square. Go down 3 or so blocks, then turn right. You'll be able to see the east gate from there." He said, pointing down the road.

"Thanks so much." She replied as she turned and briskly walked down the road. She hesitated before walking into the Church square, there was a growing crowd of people gathering near the middle, forming a circle.

"I guess they just recently found the bodies…" She spoke under her breath. A whistle pierced the air, making Ayleth wince in pain. "Darn this advanced hearing, sounds like that hurt!" She hissed, covering her ears with her hands and heading through the crowd to the other side.

"Oh my heavens, I wonder who has been killing those vampires!" whispered a woman to her friend.

"Whatever is taking these guys down must be strong, we may have reason to worry about what it might be." Spoke the gruff voice of a policeman, eyeing the now steaming heap of bones. The sun had finally come over the horizon, and as its rays hit the bodies, they bacillus virus ate away all the flesh, leaving only bones.

After a great deal of pushing and shoving, Ayleth made it out of the curious crowd and to the street she needed to be on. She kept a fast pace and nearly jogged down to the corner of the 3rd block, where she took a right turn. Sure enough, there was the gate. Finally, I'm sick of dealing with these vampires. She said, keeping her quick pace. Out of nowhere, a pair of hands grabbed her, pulling her into a small side alley.

"Mmmegouuu!" came the sound of her muffled voice from behind her captor's hand, now clamped over her mouth. She twisted out of the captors grip and found herself face to face with Abel.

"Abel!? Let go of me! What are you doing!?"

"Were you going to leave?" He asked, now holding her by the wrists.

"Yeah, I was, but I don't see how it makes any difference to you!"

"If you leave now, those methuselah will just keep killing, don't you understand!?"

"That's not my problem, why don't you kill them yourself?"

"Because, we need help. Ion is not, well, he isn't the strongest fighter. I need someone to help me Ayleth, and I want you to be that someone. Even If you are… something else…" He said, releasing her wrists and backing up a step.

"Fine,' she glared at him 'But, under one condition. You can't ask any personal questions. Agreed?"

Able sighed deeply and frowned, "Alright, fine, I won't ask you about your personal life."

"Good. Okay, I'll stay until we can eradicate this group of vamps, but no longer." She said, frowning and folding her arms. Abel showed her to the Inn they were staying at, it was a ratty, run-down place, with uncomfortable beds, and you couldn't walk barefoot because the floor would give you nasty splinters.

"What a hell hole. You couldn't have gone someplace that was, oh I don't know, a little more than disgusting?" Ayleth said, dumping her few belongings on the floor of the bedroom. The window had been covered in a quilt, to protect Ion from the sunlight.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Scoffed Ion, sitting on one of the beds sharpening his dagger.

"She's agreed to help us with this little vampire infestation; once they have been taken care of she will leave us."

"Humph! Well she said she doesn't need our help, that she's got it all under control! Why do we need her!" He hissed, putting away his blade.

She ignored him and entered the room. There were two beds, a ratty couch, a fireplace, and two bedside tables.

"Dibs on the couch, those beds look hard as a rock." She said flopping onto the small couch. A puff of dust and stuffing erupted from a hole in the arm, sending her into a coughing fit.

"Ick, I might be better off on the floor, with all the splinters." Ayleth glumly said, covering her face with her cloak and ignoring Ion, who was now ranting about how horrible it will be to work with her.

Later that evening, the trio crept out their top floor window and easily scrambled onto the roof of the Inn. Abel took the lead, jumping easily from roof to roof, while scanning the streets and alleys below for any sign of activity. Ayleth followed him closely, while Ion stayed far at the back, still with a great distaste towards Ayleth.

"It's so quiet tonight, I wonder if the one that got away the other night warned the others to be more… discreet?" Ayleth said once they had stopped on a rooftop to rest.

"I don't know, or maybe they're planning something. They could even be watching us now, you never know." Answered Abel, crouching on the edge of the roof to watch the street while he rested. They hung around on rooftops for a few more hours, and then headed back to the inn to sleep.

Early the next morning, a crowd had gathered at the end of the street near the East gate.

"Hey, we should go see what the commotion is all about." Ayleth said, poking the still sleeping Able in the rump with her sword sheathe. "Get your big lazy butt out of bed and come with me." She said, now jabbing him in the side.

"Nyuuggghhh, no too sleepyyy…" He mumbled, rolling over and pulling the blankets around him tighter.

"I said GET UP." She growled, snatching a cup of water from the bed stand and dumping it of his head.

"Wauuuggghhh!" He shot off the bed and fell on the floor, tangled in his blanket.

"Here, your glasses. Put on some shoes and suitable clothes and let's hurry and see what's going on."

"Y-Yes ma'am, I'll get right on that."

Outside, the crowd had grown larger, taking up that section of the street. Abel and Ayleth shoved their way through to the front. What Ayleth saw next nearly made her puke; there in the middle of the crowd, were the remains of a woman and child, both badly disfigured and mostly drained of blood. Some of the locals were crying, and many stood in shock, jaws wide open.

"How… how could we have missed this! We were less than a block away, there were no screams or activity, no sounds or anything!" cried Ayleth, falling to her knees and burying her face in her hands. She felt Abel kneel beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. They sat there for a while, until city officials came and made everyone clear out and go about their own business. Ayleth and Able sat and watched from the other side of the road, waiting for the scene to be cleaned up and for the police to leave. After about a half hour or so, they finally finished and left. Ayleth rose to her feet and walked to where the bodies had lain, searching the ground for any signs of missed evidence. Several feet away from where the bodies had been was an entrance to the city's sewer systems, and upon further inspection, she noticed a faint smear of blood that disappeared under the manhole cover.

"Sometimes I'm really glad I have such good eyesight, nobody else would have noticed this, would they have?" She said pointing to the small smear and sewer hole.

"Huh? I guess you really do have good eyesight, I don't see anything." Abel said, peering closer to where she was pointing. "Are you certain that there's blood here?" he said, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah I'm sure, besides seeing it I can smell it. It's faint, but it's definitely there." She said, folding her arms and giving him a snide look.

"We should patrol this area tonight; see if anything comes up from the sewer. I'm thinking they might have a hideout down under the city somewhere. It's perfect for them, they can stay out of the sun during the day and can come up anywhere that there's a manhole in the city." Abel said, rising to his feet. "Meanwhile, I didn't get breakfast; I think we should head back to the inn for some food now." He said with a smile.

"Yeah let's go, I'm hungry too."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter five: Imprint**_

"Uggh… Abel, I know I said you could have anything you want, but I didn't think you were going to buy everything on the menu!" Ayleth complained, watching Abel stuff is face full of another bite of egg and bacon.

"And can't you eat with your mouth closed? That's disgusting!"

"Yeah it really is Abel. I've been putting up with your table manners for too long, can't you eat in a civilized manner?" Said Ion, delicately cutting his egg with a fork and knife. He ignored the both of them and continued scarfing down the food, as if he had never eaten before.

"Humph. I'm NEVER, EVER paying for a meal for you again. Seriously, do you think I'm made of money?!"

"Oh… well I guess I never thought about that… I'm sorry." He said, slurping down the rest of his corn grits and proceeding to wipe his face on his napkin.

"At least he used his napkin…" Said Ayleth with a sigh. The plan was to just hang around and lay low for the day, and once night fell they would split up and patrol the nearby sewer entrances for any activity.

"Well thank-you for the treat Ayleth, I haven't had a good meal like this in some time now. Ion pays for my meals usually, but he usually doesn't spare me much."

"That's because you spend it on unnecessary things." Said Ion, clearing up his dishes and returning them to the counter. Ayleth did the same, leaving Abel alone with a heap of bowls and plates.

"Hey guys, can you help me with these dishes? There are so many." He complained, bringing over a few plates.

"No way, I paid. You can take care of your dishes. Ion and I will meet you back in the room upstairs." She said, starting to walk up the stairs to their room.

"Uhhh! But there are so manyyyy!" He whined, sinking to the floor with a look of despair on his face.

"Not our problem, see you upstairs." Said Ion, following Ayleth up the creaky steps.

About an hour later Abel finally came into the room. He walked straight to his bed and fell down on it face first.

"What a drama queen." Ion teased, his face hidden behind the cover of a book. "yeah really. I csant believe it took you that long to clean up your mess. What did you do, pout the whole time?" Said Ayleth, sitting cross legged on the couch, sharpening her twin swords. She paused to glance over at Abel, who was still draped over the bed like a blanket.

"I think he might have died from exhaustion. Look, I don't think he's breathing." Said Ion, who had abandoned his book to poke Abel in the side.

"I wonder what would happen if we sat on him."

"How dare you even think of such a thing! I didn't do anything to you!" Screeched Abel, now sitting upright on the bed. Ion and Ayleth laughed together at the still whining Abel, who then smiled and joined in on the laughter. Ayleth couldn't believe it, she was laughing again. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed or really been happy around anyone. Maybe, just maybe… she could stay with them, even after the methuselah were destroyed.

Later, after the sun sank completely beneath the horizon, the trio stole back onto the rooftop, and decided they would cover more ground if they split up. They were to watch from the rooftops for any sign of methuselah, and keep an eye on the sewer entrances in the area. Ion kept watch on the rooftops near the church, while Ayleth observed the streets to the west, near where she had first met Eva, and Abel stayed close to the Inn and where the woman and child had been killed. He keep an eye especially on the manhole near where the bodies were found, in case any methuselah emerged from the sewers below. Sitting motionless on a rooftop, he noticed the heavy metal sewer plate shift, and then get pushed to the side. Two vampires, one with medium length blonde hair and the other a longer haired redhead, emerged from the dark hole. Abel's eyes narrowed, and he leapt from the rooftop to the street below, landing behind the two vampires.

"What the hell!?" hissed the redhead, a bewildered look on his face.

"I don't know how you didn't smell him, Abaroth. His scent is thick in the air." Said the blonde as he turned to face Abel, a frown appearing on his face. "Are you honestly that oblivious?"

"S-sorry Fino, I just didn't really notice…" said Abaroth, taking a step back from him.

"Whatever, let's just kill him and go find something better to do with our lives." Said Fino, holding his hand out in front of him. A ball of crystalline ice formed in his palm, growing bigger until it was about the size of an orange.

"What the…" Abel's sentence was cut off as he dodged the ice ball, now hurling towards his head. He leapt to the side and rolled across the pavement. The ball hit a streetlamp behind him, and when it hit it expanded up the pole, freezing the whole lamp over.

"You're quick, but how long can you keep this up?" Sneered Fino, flinging another ice ball at Abel, who drew his guns and fired several shots in Fino and Abaroth's direction. One bullet hit home in Abaroth's shoulder, making him howl with pain. He skulked to the side of the road, and collapsed against the wall of the building, holding his shoulder as blood began to soak the arm of his suit coat.

"Damn you Abaroth, you're too weak!" Fino spat, glaring at him "Just sit there till he's dead, I'll deal with you later!" He said, throwing two more balls of ice at Abel, who just barely dodged them.

"You can't keep this up all night; sooner or later ill freeze you solid as a pond in winter. I can do this forever."

'If I don't kill him soon, I'll be the dead one!' Thought Abel, adjusting his glasses. "I guess it's now or never." He said aloud, putting his gun back in its holster. He closed his eyes, and under his breath said "Nanomachine Crusnik 02, power output level 40%, activate." When he opened his eyes, they were blood red. His Teeth had become pointed, and in his hand was a massive red scythe, tipped with a long, deadly blade. Fino's face dropped, his mouth hung open, and the ice ball he held in his hand fell and shattered on the ground.

"What… what are you!" He shouted, snapping out of his daze and forming another ball of ice in his palm. Abel answered with silence, only staring coldly at the vampire who was now his prey.

"ANSWER ME!" Fino screeched, as he flung the ball straight at Abel's face. He sliced it in half midair with his scythe, and narrowed his eyes.

"I think it's time to end this." He spoke in a low, serious voice, sounding much different now than he had five minutes ago. He darted forward, a blur, and flashed past the vampire, running his blade through his enemy's chest, causing blood to spray from the wound. Fino's lifeless body collided with the street, blood dripping from his mouth and the hole in his chest. The blood began to run in small streams toward Abel, his body taking it in. Once he'd had his fill, Abel turned towards Abaroth, who was still leaning against the building.

Ayleth had hurried towards where Abel was after her superior hearing picked up the sound of a man howling in pain. She ran to the edge of the building and jumped straight off, her large wings appearing as if out of nowhere and spreading wide to let her safely to the ground. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring wide eyed across the street, her eyes glowing yellow. But it wasn't Abel she was staring at so intently, it was Abaroth. Abel approached him slowly, not even acknowledging Ayleth's presence, and raised his scythe to finish the job. She didn't know why, but Ayleth felt that she needed to protect this… _vampire_. She flashed her wings and rocketed to the other side of the street just as he was about to bring his scythe down.

"Stop!" She screeched, catching the blade of the scythe between her palms in an iron grip.

"What are you doing? He's a methuselah, he's been killing people Ayleth."

"I…. I know. But… I think… I think I've just imprinted on him. If you kill him, ill won't hesitate to become your enemy as well." She said, her eyes glowing like embers.

His eyes grew wide at this statement "Imprinted…?"

"Yeah. Like Draconis Occidentalis, the reptile DNA that I'm fused with. The females of that species imprint on the male she's destined to be with for life, I did some extensive research on the species once I figured out what I was." He stepped backwards, drawing back the weapon. The two stood in silence, now eyeing each other's different forms.

"So I guess I'm not the only monster around here, huh? Good. Because I feel better knowing I'm not the only one." She said now turning to look at Abaroth, who had slipped into unconsciousness, his arm coated in blood.

"You're not a crusnik like me, so what exactly are you?" Asked Abel, watching as Ayleth ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of her cloak and proceeded to dress the vampires bullet wound with it.

"Perhaps that's a story for another time. Why don't we get him inside and talk later, the sun will be up soon and I don't need to be seen in the streets like this, I'm not relaxed enough to shift back yet." She pulled Abaroth's uninjured arm over her shoulder and picked him up like a baby.

"Here, let me carry him" Offered Abel, now back in his human form. He took him from her arms and they headed back to the Inn, where Ayleth flew them up to their room window one by one. They put Abaroth on the couch and covered him with a blanket.

"Well it seems like the bullet went through his shoulder completely. It wasn't silver, was it?" Said Ayleth, inspecting his shoulder

"No, I wasn't using my silver bullets, I don't have very many left and I want to save them."

"Well that's good, it should heal well."

"Yes, now I don't know about you, but being in my other form makes me oh so tired, goodnight." Abel said, as he flopped onto his bed.

"Yeah I guess I ought to sleep too. I hope Ion doesn't mind our new guest… I wonder how late he'll come in." She lay her cloak out on the rug and grabbed a blanket before laying down and falling to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ughhh my head… Where, where am I?" Abaroth sat up on the couch, and winced as a shot of pain ran down his shoulder and arm. "Ouch! I forgot that was there." He said laying back down. He looked across the room, and sat up again when he noticed Abel, still asleep in his bed. "That's the guy who shot me… so why am I here now?" He noticed a younger boy sleeping in the other bed, and a girl on the floor next to the couch. He slowly rose to his feet, stepping cautiously over the girl.

"Where do you think you're going?" Said the girl, catching him by the ankle and causing him to lose his balance and fall to his knees.

"Get off of me!" He hissed, his sharp white teeth shining in the light of the fireplace.

"So the dead has arisen, finally." Mumbled Ion, sitting up on his bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Huh?"

"You have been out of it for two days. I'm sure you shoulder is nearly healed by now. By the way, my name is Ayleth. That's Ion over there, and Abel, well you've already met him." She said, now sitting cross legged on the floor.

"But, why didn't he kill me? I mean, I'm a vampire. And why are you two being so nice to me?"

"Well… I stopped him before he could finish you off. I uhh… I guess I just saw some good in you, that's all. But if you prove to be otherwise, I sure won't stop him next time." She said, crossing her arms. _'But I guess that wouldn't happen because I'm supposed to protect him… whatever. Stupid instincts.' _she thought to herself, unsure of what she would do in the event that Abaroth wasn't who he seemed.

"So here's the deal. You do whatever I say whenever I say it, and you'll be fine. No killing, sneaking out, or getting in the way. Understand?" Ordered Ayleth, as she brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"What? But who makes you the boss of me! I can do what I want!" He shouted, jumping to his feet.

Ayleth narrowed her eyes and swiftly leapt to her feet. She jumped and flipped through the air towards Abaroth, her feet hitting square on his chest and throwing him to the ground. She crouched on his chest and leaned over his face, glaring into his clear blue eyes.

"You'll do what I say because I'm stronger than you, and you don't want to see me mad." She calmly said. '_Wow, I could almost get lost in his eyes… they're so blue, like the sky on a warm summer day… UGH! Shut-up Ayleth! What are you thinking! Just because you imprinted on him doesn't mean you have to fall in love with him… does it?" _She shook her head and stepped off his chest. He lay unmoving on the ground, just staring up at her with wide eyes.

"Okay…. I'll do what you say I guess… but what about when I need to drink? If I can't harm humans how will I live?"

"I'll work on that, don't worry about it." She held out a hand to help him to his feet. He hesitated before grabbing it and came to stand beside her.

"Well now that that's sorted out, can you go downstairs and bring me my breakfast?" Said Ion impatiently, still watching from his bed.

"Yeah I guess. Keep an eye on this one." She gestured toward Abaroth with her hand.

She returned a few minutes later with two trays of food, piled high with bacon, eggs, biscuits and jelly, a bowl of grits, and a few empty bowls with clean spoons.

"Wow, I don't think I have ever seen this much food all at once, we usually would break into shops at night and steal their food, or we would go into the forest to hunt."

Ayleth finished off her plate of bacon and jelly coated biscuits. "Yeah but," she swallowed a bite of biscuit, "you are nothing like the other's we have encountered. You didn't even put up a fight when you and your 'friend' were confronted by Abel."

"I never wanted to hurt anyone, but Fino forced me into joining his gang. He was kind of… controlling me in a sense. He threatened my life more than once." Abaroth said, looking up from his plate of food.

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. So, are there more methuselah hiding down in the sewers like you and Fino were? I assume that's where the others came from as well"

"Uh, well…" Abaroth's face went pale and he hesitated. He cleared his throat and started again "we don't live in the sewers, actually. That's just how we got around the city unnoticed for so long. The sewers let out in the lower forest to the south of the city, out past the wall. There's a large cave nearby. There are at least 8 others still alive, they were the ones being more careful after you killed Emilio."

"Well, I think we should go and visit your friends down in the cave and have a little chat with them."

Abaroth looked worried now. His hands began to tremble and he looked rather distressed.

"Hey Abaroth you don't look so good, what's wrong?" said Ion, looking a bit worried.

"It's just… nothing. Forget it, it's not important." He cleared his place and set his dishes on the empty tray, and walked across the room to the couch.

"Hmm." Ion shrugged. Ayleth rose to her feet and walked over to Abel, who was still snoring softly in his bed. She prodded him in the side with her finger, but he didn't even flinch.

"Abel, you lazy butt, wake up. It's nearly noon." She prodded him in the face with her index finger.

"Nugghhuhh… five more minutes…" He said sleepily, his words coming out in a mumble.

"Your food is getting cold."

"Food!?" He jolted out of his bed and rushed to the table, immediately stuffing a whole biscuit in his mouth. He noticed Abaroth staring at him from across the room, and with a mouth full of food said "oh well it's nice to see you're awake" Though it really came out sounding more like: " ough ets nrice to she yrour awrake. " Abaroth only blinked and looked down at his hands, which were folded in his lap.

They finished their brunch and Ayleth returned the utensils, tray, and the dishware back downstairs. When she returned a few minutes later the three boys were sitting near the fire, cackling like hyenas.

"I leave for five minutes and you guys bond instantly?" She asked suspiciously eyeing Abaroth and Abel. "Oh we were just telling a few jokes, care to join?"

"Not really. I'll leave all the immaturity to you boys. I'm going to take a nap before we go out tonight, so be quiet." Having said that, she crawled into Ion's bed and rolled over.

Several hours later, as the sun began to set, Ayleth awoke to Abel rubbing her shoulder.

"Come on, get up Ayleth, it's time to go check out the cave."

"She pushed away the covers and slid off the bed, rubbing her eyes. She then walked over to the couch to retrieve her swords and cloak.

"Abaroth, Ion, are you two ready to go?" She asked looking across the room. Abaroth had a rather grim expression on his face, but he nodded a 'yes', as did Ion.

"The sun is down, let's go." Said Abel, peeking through the blanket covering the window. He pulled it out of the way and opened the window.


	7. Chapter 7

Abel, Ayleth, Ion, and Abaroth, crept soundlessly across the shingles to the edge of the inn's roof. Below was a dark alleyway. There were still a few people walking around the city's streets, and they had to be extra careful not to be seen scaling down the side of the building. They climbed down the ivy coated chimney and disappeared into the thick dark of the alley.

With Abel an the lead, they all headed down to the city's south gate, where Abaroth was then to lead them to the cave his brother and the rest of the rouge vampire gang was hiding out. They reached the gate nearly twenty minutes later, and walked under its tall stone arch, out onto a dirt road, which disappeared into thick forest.

"Ok Abaroth, it's your turn. Show us the way" Ayleth said, shoving him forward from behind.

"Uh yeah… um, come on, it's this way." He walked off of the road and into the underbrush, pushing through bushes and tall ferns.

After making their way through the forest and undergrowth, they came finally to rather small, jagged hole in the ground. It was hidden in the shadows of a massive oak tree, and was only about four by four feet wide. It was easy to see how nobody had noticed it before, it was so deep into the woods, and was bordered on one side by tall ferns, hiding it from view on that side.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Asked Abaroth, walking toward the hole.

"Oh no you don't!" Shouted Ayleth, jumping in front of him. "I'll be the first to go down there, how do we know you won't just run ahead and warn the others, or just leave us?" She said, her eyes narrowing. She turned on her heel and jumped into the hole.

"It's okay guys, its only about six feet deep, just jump straight down." She called from the dark. With her inhuman eyesight, Ayleth could see as if the cave was illuminated with moonlight. Her night vision made everything crisp and clear. They were in a short tunnel that opened into a larger cavern, which had a large pool of clear water in the center.

"I can't see a darn thing in this place!" Complained Abel, fidgeting with his glasses as if it would help him to see better.

"Well then let me help you with that…" Light from a single torch flooded the tunnel with light. A tall methuselah with short black hair stood at the mouth of the tunnel. His dark eyes glittered in the light of the torch, and he smiled when he saw Abaroth, who looked terrified.

"Please," He said slightly bowing," follow me. I'm sure my master would just _love_ to meet you."

He turned and walked out into the larger tunnel, where he walked past the pool to a stone bowl containing a flammable liquid, which he lit with the torch.

"Wait here, I'll go let him know you're here, if he doesn't already. You four were exceptionally loud coming through the forest. We heard nearly everything." He exited the cave, and four more methuselahs entered. One of them Ayleth recognized as the one that had escaped the night she fought them in the churchyard. He looked at her, with a slightly unnerved expression coating his face.

"You're in trouble now, Abaroth! Ettore is going to kick your ass after he takes care of these murderers." Sneered the taller of the four. "Yeah, I wonder if he will leave enough of you behind for us to have fun torturing?" Said another. Abaroth sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew that if Abel, Ayleth, and Ion were killed that he was as good as dead as well. His brother was the new boss of the rouges, and he had a deep hatred for Abaroth.

"Well well, look who came home, finally." The methuselah with the torch re-entered the cavern, following behind who Ayleth could only imagine was Ettore. Ettore was tall and very muscular; his muscles bulged from under the white dress shirt he was wearing. He had short, spikey dark red hair and dark blue eyes. "If it isn't my little baby brother, Abaroth. And look, you brought us dinner! Maybe you aren't as worthless as I had originally thought, but I'll be sure to deal with you later. Gentlemen, what are you waiting for? Their blood smells absolutely mouth-watering!"

Two new vampires dropped from a ledge above, and landed just behind Ion and Abel.  
"KILL THEM ALL!" Shouted Ettore from the other side of the room.

The seven methuselah twisted their faces into evil smiles, revealing their sharp teeth. They all moved in on the group at once, making sounds like wild animals. Ayleth drew her twin swords in the blink of an eye, and downed the closest vampire, nearly slicing him in two with her blades. Abel pulled out his pistol and began firing at two oncoming methuselah, hitting one between the eyes and the other in the shoulder. Ion flashed his dagger across the face of his opponent, and Abaroth was thrown to the ground in the middle of the chaos.

A few minutes later, the floor of the cave was drenched in blood. Ayleth cut down the last of the methuselah, and stood to wipe a drop of blood from her face with her sleeve. Her white shirt was spattered with blood, and someone during the fight had left a long claw slice down her left calf. Abel seemed unharmed, as did Ion. Ayleth turned to Ettore, who had watched the entire fight from the safety of the tunnel's mouth. A look of horror crossed his face, but was quickly replaced a crazed smile.

"It's not over!" He yelled, turning and bolting into the darkness of the tunnel.

"It will be soon! I promise I'll kill you!" Ayleth screeched, her eyes turning yellow and her wings appearing. She pursued him with equally inhuman speed, leaving the others alone in the cavern. She could just see Ettore ahead, he turned a sharp right, and when Ayleth came to the corner she emerged above ground once more. The tunnel spat her out into a meadow at the forest's edge. Ettore ran full speed across the meadow, leaving Ayleth far behind. She spread her enormous 19 foot wingspan, and pushed the air with one hard pump of her wings. She rushed forward in the air, and caught up quickly to him.

Drawing back her wings mid-air, she plowed into his back and sent them both head over heels in the grass. Ayleth rolled and leapt quickly to her feet, not letting her guard down. Ettore rolled to his knees and stood, staring at her in disbelief.

"What!? How did you… what are you!" He roared, clenching his fists. She answered him with a cold stare and silence, not moving a single muscle. He gave a growl of distaste and lunged, drawing a short dagger from his belt. Ayleth gave a cruel, crooked smile, and easily moved from the weapon's path, tripping Ettore and sending him sprawling across the ground.

"You stupid, _stupid_ vampire. I promised that I would be the one to kill you, didn't I?" She walked forward and put her foot on his back, pushing him to the ground with her heel.

"Any last words?" She whispered into his ear, now crouched over his back, her knee pinning him down.

"Burn in hell!" He spat, grabbing hold of the dagger and throwing over his shoulder it at his attacker. It glanced off her right shoulder, leaving a gash that began to bleed uncontrollably. With a loud hiss, Ayleth ran her silver swords through his back, right through his lungs. Blood from her shoulder coursed in tiny streams down her arm, they ran down the blade of her sword and dripped off the tip. She ripped a piece of Ettore's cloak from his lifeless body and wrapped it tightly around her shoulder, wincing as the pressure was applied. She then cleaned off her swords in the grass and re-sheathed them, and spread her wings to return to the cave.

"Ayleth, where's Ettore!? My brother, did… did you kill him?" Stammered Abaroth, rushing to Ayleth when she re-entered the cave. She didn't answer him, and bowed her head, her hair covering most of her face.

"I'm sorry. I could not let him live after what he has done." She said sullenly, walking past him towards the tunnel they had entered from. The walk back to the inn was long and silent, nobody spoke a word. Once back inside, Abel and Ion headed to bed and fell asleep within minutes. Abaroth sat on the couch, watching the smoldering embers in the fireplace, and Ayleth went into the bathroom to clean herself up and take care of the gash on her shoulder. She was standing in front of the mirror cleaning her wound with a sponge, when she noticed Abaroth standing behind her in the mirror's reflective surface.

"So… I'll need blood soon. What are you planning to do about that problem..?" He asked, leaning against the doorway, watching as she washed the dirt from the gash.

"I personally go hunting once a week, I need to eat a mostly meat diet. You can drink the blood of animals, can't you?" She asked still looking into the mirror. She set down the sponge and picked up a wood handled brush from the counter. She ran it through her curly brown hair several times before setting it back down.

"I guess so; I've never tried before…" He replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm planning on going out tomorrow night, now that the threat to the town has been destroyed. You can come with me if you want to."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, we're going out now. We should be back in a couple of hours." Ayleth tightened the short belt holding an eight inch knife to her calf, and pulled her boot over the sheathe and belt. Abaroth had changed out of the pinstripe suit into the new clothes Ayleth had bought him; he now wore a pair of khaki pants with a leather belt and lace-up military style brown leather boots. He also wore a white tank top with a green jacket over the top. They were obviously the clothes of a worker, but he didn't complain as they were actually quite comfortable.

"Alright let's go." She said, climbing from the window and onto the roof.

"But wait, don't you want your new bow? Or your swords?" Abaroth called from the window.

"No, I don't need a weapon to do my dirty work. My knife is only for skinning animals. If I catch enough maybe we can sell some to the town merchants and make a little money before we go our separate ways." She disappeared onto the roof completely, And Abaroth scrambled out of the window after her. They ran silently across the rooftops and down to the south gate to the forest they encountered the night before.

"Let's go. "She said, leaping from the roof to the top of the wall, where she jumped down to the ground. Abaroth followed just as quietly, landing easily behind her. They walked in silence through the forest, listening carefully for any animals. There was a soft rustle in a bush ahead, and Ayleth put a hand on Abaroth's chest and a finger to her lips, motioning for him to stay still. She crept silently around to the other side of the bush, and stood quietly. The rustling continued, and she pounced. When she emerged from the bush she held a rabbit. It's neck was broken and she held it by its hind legs. "Ick…. I would really prefer something a lot less…. fuzzy." Abaroth said, looking in disgust at the creature.

"Who said it was for you? You can catch your own food." She replied, dropping the rabbit into the game bag she had on her back. They continued on their walk through the woods, Ayleth continuously testing the cool air with her acute sense of smell for any scents drifting on the wind.

"I smell… deer, I think. It's that way." She said, pointing to the left.

"Well that sounds a little less fuzzy than the rabbit, let's go then."

"Just be super quiet, deer are very skittish and have good hearing and sense of smell. If we stay quiet and downwind we should be fine." Abaroth gave a quick nod and they crept onward through the forest.

About twenty minutes later, they came to the edge of a grassy meadow. There, in the middle of the meadow was a herd of five deer. The deer were all grazing peacefully, eagerly cropping off bits of grass with their teeth. Abaroth and Ayleth crouched at the edge, perfectly hidden behind the thick trunk of an old oak tree which was surrounded by ferns. Ayleth, without speaking a word, put her hand on Abaroth's shoulder. Her eyes turned yellow and her wings appeared in the darkness. He nodded and prepared to chase down one of the deer, who were still peacefully grazing in the moonlit meadow.

Ayleth and Abaroth darted from behind the tree and flashed toward the herd of deer. The animals reacted quickly and fled into the dark woods, their white tails held high with alarm. Abaroth ran after the deer with determination glowing in his eyes, his mouth curled back into a grim smile.

"Having fun!?" She shouted to him, flashing an equally sinister smile toward him.

"Fun? I have never really had to chase my prey!" He said, putting more effort into catching up to his meal. He finally reached the smaller of the deer, which was running at the back of the herd. He grabbed it in his muscular arms and brought it to the ground. Ayleth smiled to herself, passing Abaroth and his downed prey. _'Now I can catch my dinner…' _she thought, locking her eyes on the largest of the deer, who was running at the front of the herd. She poured on more speed and turned to the right and tackled the animal to the ground, breaking its neck with one quick snap.

"You, were a very fleet opponent, but not fast enough to get away from me." She kneeled over the animal and pulled it onto her shoulders so she could walk back to where she had seen Abaroth. Once she got back to him he had already drank his fill and was leaning against a tree with one foot propped up.

"What took you so long? Did you have any trouble?" He asked her as she came into view.

"Nope. I waited to catch mine until you had yours, I didn't want to ruin any chance you had of getting one yourself." She said, letting the deer slide from her shoulders onto the ground.

"What did you think of your… meal? Was it any good?" She asked, eyeing the deer he had downed.

"It was… fine. Not satisfying, but It will do." He said walking towards her. She began collecting wood for a fire so she could cook her dinner. She crouched and lit the tinder she had collected with a match from her belt. Soon they had a good fire going, and Ayleth had cut herself a piece of the deer Abaroth had drank from.

"Well that was easy," She said as she cut a piece of meat from the deer's body "I didn't have to worry about draining the blood from it, you did that for me."

"Are you going to sell the other deer?" He asked, coming to sit next to her on the leafy forest floor.

"Yeah. And this one we can keep for ourselves, we can smoke it and make it into jerky."

"Can I ask you something Ayleth? It's okay if you don't want to answer." He said, watching as she draped strips of meat on the wood spit.

"I guess, what do you want to know?" She replied, cutting more strips of meat.

"What, exactly, are you? I mean, why do your eyes glow sometimes?"

She paused and set her knife down, and stared into the flames of the roaring fire.

"Because, when I was younger, about twelve years old, my village was attacked by a rouge group of methuselah. My father was a scientist; he worked at a top secret facility. He gave me some kind of injection in the hopes that I could fend off the oncoming vampires. I found out that the injection was a fusion of the bacillus virus, nanomachines, and the DNA of a winged reptile. I'm not human any more, obviously. I sometimes get a craving for blood due to the bacillus, but I don't need to drink it to live, and it's not an overwhelming feeling. I kill rouge vampires because I blame them for the death of my family."

He looked at her from his spot beside her on the ground, and she turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Then why did you save me? Why haven't you killed me yet, why save me from death in the first place?" He probed, searching her face for an answer.

"Because I'm your protector now, I must keep you safe from all harm. I imprinted on you Abaroth, and my instincts force me to keep you from danger."

He was taken aback with this comment, a look of surprise spread across his pale face.


End file.
